Technology will cause us problems

On another page in this paper, Mr Sam Wambugu challenges us every Sunday about how to try and understand and not get messed up by information technology — which whether we like it or not has become part of our life — and if we do not listen we are in trouble as a society.

It is a matter I have been thinking about probably because I teach some communication but also because I prefer to as much as possible communicate the way human beings were created to communicate.

I also realise however, that after creation there have been many other developments.

Information technological development is one such significant evolution and one that has been bothering me for a while, particularly where it interferes with how human beings should communicate.

MOBILE PHONES

I work in an environment where I am surrounded by thousands of young girls and boys.

There are times when I walk out of my office and outside Taifa Hall at the University of Nairobi I find about eight or 10 students all seated around and none of them is talking to any other.

Each one of them is on their phone texting or reading messages. I do not know how many others of my generation find this bothering but I do.

There is a shop which I frequent to get certain products and the available operators are mainly young fellows.

Every time I walk in there, none of them is talking to anyone else. Each one of them is on his or her phone.

CONTROL

My question to them every time I get in there is always “what happened to human communication?”

I am convinced as we consider ourselves developed technologically particularly in matters of ICT there may be something we are losing and which can mess up the future of our humanity.

Here I am thinking about younger children of whatever age from affluent families who have access to all these facilities like i-Phones, the internet and other electronic devices; and which they put into use without any control of their parents.

Of course our government has worked a way in which all children who go to school will get into contact with communication technological operations — sometimes even before their teachers and of course parents.

That is a very good political and developmental gesture but I am also convinced that some of these developments must always be founded on a base that takes into account humanity.

If and when parents and children are not talking because everyone is either on their phone, on the computer or watching television, then there is a problem in that home and of course to the future of our human society.

Dominic W. Wamugunda is a Sociology lecturer and dean of students at the University of Nairobi; [email protected]